OKLAHOMA, Okla. (KOKI) — An unsealed federal document out of western Missouri reveals 19 people have been charged with federal racketeering conspiracy to hire undocumented workers. Out of those 19 being charged, four live in Oklahoma.

Federal documents name Jose Luis Bravo, 51, of Claremore as the alleged leader of a criminal enterprise that employs undocumented workers at dozens of Mexican restaurants in several states.

The indictment shows that for the last 18 years, people from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador were smuggled and harbored in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas to work or live.

The organized network of restaurants dating back to 2003 were reportedly operating under LLCs registered by Bravo. One of the LLC restaurants, El Charro, is in Claremore.

Bravo, according to indictment, reportedly supplied undocumented workers to managers at restaurants in which he had financial interest, which according to the indictment is 45 restaurants and at least 11 additional companies. The indictment says Bravo would allegedly help obtain fraudulent documents to allow these people to work in the United States.

The investigation reportedly began as far back as 2018, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was contacted by the Kansas Department of Labor regarding allegations that “unauthorized aliens” were employed at the Bravos Mexican Grill in Overland Park, Kansas. The indictment says HSI “announced” an I-9 Form Inspection on July 16, 2018, leading agents to discover that 14 of the 17 employees at the restaurant were ineligible to work. On February 28, 2019, HSI agents reported an additional three “unauthorized aliens” at the same restaurant, five who were identified previously were still there working.

On June 7, 2019, HSI agents reportedly inspected 10 restaurants in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas who operated under LLCs, including El Charro in Claremore. The indictment says agents found all restaurants employed unauthorized workers, saying 68% of the employees audited at the restaurants were not authorized to work in the United States.

On Sept. 13, 2019, HSI agents reportedly inspected restaurants in Missouri and Kansas that were affiliated with the defendants. Those restaurants operated under LLCs doing business as Cantina Bravo (St. Robert), Cantina Bravo Grille (Webb City, Mo.), El Charro (Neosho, Mo., Marshfield, Mo., West Plains, Joplin, and Pittsburg, Kansas), Maria’s Mexican Grill (Great Bend), and Playa Azul (Augusta). The indictment says all of the restaurants were found to have employed unauthorized employees.

The charges contained in this indictment are accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Bravo is being held in the Tulsa County Jail on no bond.

To read the full press release on everyone involved in the indictment, click here or the following link, https://bit.ly/2XOlgQQ.

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